Everyone who knows me well is probably laughing at the title of this article. Why? Because they know how much I love my birthday. It's not like I don't recognize that this is likely inappropriate for someone over the age of 5, but alas... I wait for it, I plan for it, I celebrate it, five times over, and then I await her return like an anxious toddler.

It was a rainy morning in Modena as we sipped on our cappucinos at Mon Cafe and mentally prepared for the meal that we traveled across the ocean for. We pulled apart our cornetto and decided to kill some time at the local market before our 12:30.

As we meandered around the stalls, we daydreamed about what was to come. The crunchy part of the lasagna, the five ages of Parmigiano, the eel swimming up the Po river. All of the names and visuals of dishes that we'd seen on Chef's Table: S1 E1. We went back to our B&B practically dancing around the room. My silk dress slid down my body, Brandon's wool jacket hugged his broad shoulders. We looked in the mirror. Not bad. Not bad at all.

For as long as I can recall, my grandfather has dreamt of taking his whole family on a summer vacation. Stay in a villa somewhere, swim in the ocean, eat ice cream two times a day, the good life. For a man who came to America at 42, and who has 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren this was quite a grand dream. This year, it finally happened and we spent a week together in Crete. I am writing this article from our flight home, and peppered throughout you’ll find photos of me and the gang.

My brother's college graduation is coming up this weekend, and because of it, I've thought a lot about commencement speeches. I love nothing more than a good kick in the butt from a motivational talk. Recently, I was listening to a podcast where the speaker mentioned how influenced he was by Jeff Bezos' 2010 speech at Princeton University. I gave it 20-minutes of my day, and I highly recommend you do the same.

Ah, resolutions. A wonderful way to set goals for ourselves as we close one chapter of our lives, and hit refresh to start a new year. Goals are also an easy way to fail, if you set ones for yourself that are lofty and unrealistic. Nonetheless, I'll take any excuse to think about how I can get/feel/be better, so I always write resolutions. I normally do them before the clock strikes twelve, but this year, I couldn't figure out what I wanted in time. I decided to wait, and I am happy that I did. A couple (okay, like six) hours in bed and some quiet time yesterday really brought some clarity to me, and I was able to hear my inner voice. I know what my intentions and goals for the new year are.

I find that the best advice is always tactical. Someone doesn't tell you "eat" but instead they say "ask your catering manager to pull you away for 10 minutes during the cocktail hour so you can quickly eat." They don't say "be in the moment" but instead, they remind you what your wedding is about, and how you can actually be in the moment. This is what my MOH, Sofya, did for me.

Ok guys, the other day I went to Mecca AKA Whole Foods and spotted a beautiful package of tortillas I’d never seen before. They were paper thin and carried ubiquitous char spots. They appeared to be blistered and shiny, even in the package. I was shocked by the $7 price tag, considering how cheap tortillas normally are, but I was intrigued by the description: "We produce tortillas the same way it is done throughout the towns, villages and cities of Northern Mexico."